Marluxia's Garden
by Spray-Painted Roses
Summary: The story of how Marluxia became a Nobody, his scythe, and his vengeance. Set pre-Chain of Memories.
1. Romance, Sorcery, and Memories

………………_**Marluxia's Garden**_…………………

By Spray-Painted Roses

…………………**Chapter 1: Romance, Sorcery, and Memories**……………

_Blood red petals rubbed between them, caught in the passion of the two bodies. Lips pressed together, lost in the ecstasy._

"_Luiaram," the dark haired woman gasped, "I love you."_

"_I love you too," the brown, long haired man whispered back, "Proditina."_

"_Master Luiaram," a voice called out, "we have a problem."_

_The brown haired man looked up over the pink bushes. "Can't you see I'm a little busy, Guris? Go away, I'll deal with it later."_

_A skinny, pale haired man came into view, "But sir, the demon you destroyed in the Ruhar district. There seems to be another one."_

_Sigh. "I'll be there in a second, Guris." The man looked down at his lover, "You know, when I hired him for my assistant, I was under the impression __**I**__ was in charge of __**HIM**__."_

_The woman laughed. "And I thought being a sorcerer was supposed to make your life easier."_

_The man chuckled, "If only."_

-:-

Marluxia sat in his white room, head in his hands. Nobodies were supposed to have no emotions, no conscience, no Hearts. But, if that was true, why did this memory hold so much… remorse, longing.

He stood up, running his hands through his now pink hair. He was the Graceful Assassin! No false memories or emotions would rule him!

Then he sat down again, lost in bittersweet memories.

**-:-**

A/N: So, admit it. You're curious. If you aren't then I look like a complete idiot. Which I'm not.

(Random characters from his other stories behind him mouthing "Yes, yes!")

You morons, I'm writing this! I know you're mocking me!

Anyway, if you like this story, review! Or I'll sick a mob of bloodthirsty, vampire squirrels on you! Thanks for reading.


	2. Demons, Inner and Otherwise

………………**Marluxia's Garden**……………..

By Spray-Painted Roses

……………….**Chapter 2: Demons, Inner and Otherwise**………………

_A small, grim smile twitched the edges of Luiaram's mouth. He had won._

_The eight foot tall creature was struggling against the blood-red runes that bound it to the wall. Its veins stood out against its jet-black skin as it struggled to get free. It was hopeless. The only reason the demon was still resisting was futile defiance. It knew what fate awaited it._

_The sorcerer strode forward, to deliver his judgment._

"_Please," the creature pleaded, curling ivory horns brushing its shoulders, "let me go. I swear, I'll do anything. Please, don't send me back."_

"_I don't plan on it," the sorcerer replied, "I plan on binding you into a stone." The demon sagged in relief. Binding spells only lasted until someone released them. Someone else would eventually free him just out of curiosity. "And then," the man continued, "I'll throw it into a river. And bind a few Devourers in there to keep you company. How does that sound?"_

_The creature's skin was now a shade of light gray. Its body was shaking with fear. Other beings had gone insane for less._

_Luiaram reached into the pocket of his leather jacket, and drew out a silver knife. Its length was etched with runes of binding, containment, and order. He slashed open his palm, letting the blood run down the blade._

_Then he thrust the blade into the demons torso. He turned away, ignoring the screams as it sunk into a stone in the wall._

"_Get that stone out of the wall," Luiaram barked as his assistant approached timidly, "I want it in the River Storn by tomorrow."_

"_Master," Duris said, "don't you think your punishment was a little harsh, even for a demon?"_

"_Nothing is too bad for those bastards," he spat, "not after what they did to my family."_

_Duris watched the departing figure. Who knew a man could be so bitter?_

-:-

Marluxia shot up in bed. What a weird dream. The man had been so… bitter. He glanced at his scythe, chuckling at the hidden irony.

Not only that, the dream felt familiar, like a half remembered friend. Who had told all your secrets to your enemies.

He pushed his pale pink hair out of his eyes. He'd figure out who this man was soon enough.

**-:-**

A/N: MWAHAHAHA! The plot thickens! I'll keep this one short and sweet. Many thanks to you for reading, and especially to Xana14, for reviewing.


	3. A New Threat and a Sexy Tattoo

……………_**Marluxia's Garden**_……………

By Spray-Painted Roses

………….…**Chapter 3: A New Threat and an Incredibly Sexy Tattoo**……………

_Luiaram flicked his fingers in annoyance, shattering the small crawling creature. The bits of shadow it seemed to be composed of reformed. Again and again he flicked, waved, and otherwise motioned, sending small magics at the creatures. They cost him barely the energy of lifting a feather, but he would eventually tire out._

_The shadows in the alley seemed to shift, then rose to become more of the idiotic creatures. He would have to find a different way to fight these beasts._

_He mentally ran through his repertoire of spells. He took a deep breath, and bellowed out three words that he heard in his very bones. The earth shuddered, and snapped up like pair of jaws, entombing the black pests inside._

_His hands hit his knees, the spell leaving him gasping for breath. THUD!_

_Luiaram looked up at the great hemisphere of earth, and the thin black figure that had landed atop it. Dressed all in leather, held to its flesh with thick black straps. Only its yellow eyes showed._

_Out of its fingertips, its shadowy flesh extended into bladelike claws. Luiaram extended his consciousness over to it, and withdrew immediately. The creature was driven by instinct and darkness. It lived only to hate. And serve the desires of its mistress. Mistress? The sorcerer thought, The being it serves is a woman? Impossible. Demons didn't have genders. Or was just what he was taught? He'd never actually thought if the creatures he hunted actually as actual intelligent creatures. He'd thought of them as sexless animals. But this, now this was a beast…_

_And the surprisingly strong figure had him pinned to the ground, lethal fingers pressed into his throat. It raised its other arm to deliver the killing blow. And paused, head cocked to one side, as if listening to something. It looked down at him with those hungry eyes, and disappeared in a swirl of black smoke._

-:-

Marluxia raised his hand to knock on the bright white door, paused, and then did so. The door flew open, releasing a blast of cold air. The long blond haired man in the doorway glared at him.

Marluxia glared back. He'd never liked Vexen. "I've been having trouble sleeping," he said, "and I was wondering if you have anything for me."

"What do I look like," Vexen replied, voice filled with venom, "a frickin' pharmacy?"

"No, but I just thought it would be a shame if your icy room was suddenly invaded by near-invincible flowers."

Vexen mumbled something about how he didn't take threats well, and disappeared into his room. In a moment he emerged with a clear bottle filled with a blue liquid.

"Three sips," Vexen growled, "anymore then you're dead. Not that I would care."

"Of course."

The door slammed, leaving a grinning Marluxia standing there.

-:-

_Lips pressed together, the pair tumbled onto the bed, fingers exploring g every contour of their bodies. Luiaram ran his fingers down his lover's backless gown. _

"_I didn't know you had a tattoo," he whispered into her ear, noticing the unfamiliar image on her otherwise flawless skin. _

"_Well, a girl can't let all her secrets out all at once, can she?" Proditina replied._

"_Well, you shouldn't have kept," he rasped, "such an incredibly sexy secret." His fingers traced the symbol decorating the small of her back._

_A small black and red heart with an arrow sticking out of it._

**-:-**

A/N: I'm evil. Bet you didn't see THAT coming!

Well, anyway, I thought I'd put up a disclaimer this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Square Enix and Disney. Oh wait, that was just an INSANELY pleasant fantasy.

LOL. Thanks goes out to Xana14 and Shadoworgxiii, my reviewers. And you for reading. Please review.


	4. But the Drugs Never Work

_……………….**Marluxia's Garden**……………_

By Spray-Painted Roses

**……..………..Chapter 4: But The Drugs Never Work……………..**

_The great black hound ripped apart the woman's flesh, eating her while she screamed in pain and horror. Her fingers clawed at the beast, nails ripping bits of its shadowy flesh to the ground. The tiny gouges seemed as if they had no effect on the beast whatsoever, and slowly the woman fell still. But still it kept eating, until only the skeleton remained, a few bits of flesh still clinging to it. Then it turned, its great flaring nose catching a whiff of fear on the wind._

_A man cowered in a corner of the alley, his blond hair soaked with sweat. The beast gave a strange mangled mockery of a smile._

"_Hello. I think I'll name you Lunch," the beast announced in an unnaturally deep voice, "Your friend over there was called Breakfast." The man trembled at the obviously insane creature._

"_You know," the creature continued, "I like naming my prey. When I eat them it makes it seem more… personal." _

_And then had a very… personal experience with the man. It turned around again._

_The creature grinned, "And I'll call you Dinner," And leaped at the short brown haired boy. The boy screamed and clenched his eyes shut. No yellowed teeth ripped into him. No blood red claws tore at him. He tentatively opened his eyes._

_He was in a room cluttered with books, bits of chalk, a dagger, and other magical paraphernalia. It was dimly lit from dozens of candles. He realized he was on his knees, so he shakily got to his feet, his poorly made boots scuffing the chalked symbols in a circle around him. His gaze lingered on a softly glowing sword hanging on the wall for a moment, then fixed itself on the robed man who stood before him._

"_That is what happened to your parents," the man said, "that demon did that to them. And they'll do it to everyone else. You. Your children. Your neighbor. Your neighbors children. Everyone. They want to kill us all. Rich, poor, weak, strong, they exist only to kill and multiply. That's all they exist for, apprentice."_

_The boy stood up, still trembling with fear, but now with passionate anger in his eyes._

"_Then," he replied, "I'll kill them all! They won't hurt anyone ever again. They'll pay."_

_The man chuckled silently. To an eight-year old? The boy could plainly see his thought on the man's face. He pulled himself indignantly taller. Then the adrenaline withdrawal got to the child, and Luiaram ran crying from the room._

-:-

Marluxia shot up in bed. Damn you, Vexen. The potion was supposed to help him sleep, not make the dreams more vivid. Bastard.

On the other hand, he hadn't told Vexen WHY he hadn't been sleeping. That would have been a VERY bad idea. Who knows what weird tests he'd want to do on him if he found out he was experiencing someone else's memories?

He pulled himself out of bed, and got changed into his dark cloak. Maybe it was time to find out a little about this Luiaram person.

-:-

The short, dark-haired girl twirled a kunai around one of her fingers. There was NOTHING to do in this town. How annoying was that? I mean, seriously, you'd think a town overrun by Heartless would be a little more exciting. But no, it was boring as Hell. No, scratch that, Hell would probably be more exciting.

Yuffie jumped of her stool in Merlin's cluttered house. Maybe she could go to a bar. Do you think she could pass off as twenty-one?

Lost in thought, Yuffie wandered across the room and flung open the door, and ran into something. A big, black, muscular, something.The girl looked up to see a hooded face. She smiled brightly in welcome.

"Hi, Merlin's not here ri-,"

"I'm looking for information," the man cut her off, "and I was told to come and see someone named Leon or Yuffie."

Yuffie's smiled turned mischievous. This was going to be fun.

**-:-**

A/N: Mwaha! Bet you didn't see that coming! Again! Not for the last time either. Expect the unexpected. Or rather… don't. I still want you to be surprised when you read. I would be sad if you knew what was going to happen because I told you it would be unexpected.

Wait a second! That doesn't make any sense! Just like my life! Anywho, thank you Xana14 and Shadoworgxiii for reviewing. You too, for reading.

Reviews are my crack. Don't deprive me of my addiction. Please?

By the way, the title was taken from the lyrics of a song called Teenagers, by My Chemical Romance. WOO! Go MCR!


End file.
